August 2012 Volume 46

Community Energy Challenge (CEC) Monthly Update

Note: EPA no longer updates this information, but it may be useful as a reference or resource.

Welcome to the Community Energy Challenge Monthly Update, a monthly publication by EPA New England promoting energy efficiency and clean, renewable energy.

Disclaimer: Some of the events, articles and websites listed in this email are not sponsored by EPA. EPA is listing them for your information only. EPA is not responsible for the content of information from non-EPA sources, and does not endorse any commercial product, service, enterprise, or policy that may be included.

This page provides links to non-EPA web sites that provide additional information related to Energy. You will leave the EPA.gov domain and enter another page with more information. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information on that non-EPA page. Providing links to a non-EPA Web site is not an endorsement of the other site or the information it contains by EPA or any of its employees. Also, be aware that the privacy protection provided on the EPA.gov domain (see Privacy and Security Notice) may not be available at the external link.

You will need Adobe Reader to view some of the files on this page. See EPA's PDF page to learn more about PDF, and for a link to the free Acrobat Reader.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

New EPA Air Quality Planning Resources for State, Tribal and Local Air Agencies
EPA has released a new Roadmap to help state, tribal, and local air agencies include emission reductions from energy efficiency and renewable energy in State and Tribal Implementation Plans (SIPs/TIPs) to improve air quality. The Roadmap focuses on emissions benefits from energy efficiency/renewable energy policies and programs in the electric power sector. It reflects input received from a number of stakeholders, including state and local energy and air quality agencies.

Now is a great time to include energy efficiency/renewable energy strategies in SIPs and TIPs. First, many states have substantially increased their commitment to energy efficiency/renewable energy policies and programs over the last 10 years. The emissions impacts from these policies and programs are already happening: this manual outlines the latest tools, information, and approaches to quantifying those impacts. Second, emissions reductions from energy efficiency/renewable energy policies and programs can help states and tribes comply with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) at a lower cost than traditional control measures. Third, this information could be very helpful for areas participating in the Ozone Advance Program. Finally, these resources can help state, tribal, and local agencies estimate potential emissions reductions and determine whether they want to reflect those reductions in their SIPs/TIPs.

To accompany the Roadmap, EPA is providing:

A webinar on the Roadmap

Draft tool for quantifying the emissions impacts of state, tribal, and local energy efficiency/renewable energy policies and programs

Online training for air quality planners on the electric energy sector

Data on the projected energy impacts of existing state energy efficiency/renewable energy policies to help states and tribes account for policies not reflected in Energy Information Administration's Annual Energy Outlook 2010

U.S. Internal Revenue Service Releases Public Guidance on Qualified Energy Conservation Bonds (PDF)(12 pp, 40 K)
The U.S. Internal Revenue Service released guidance regarding certain qualified conservation purposes eligible for financing with qualified energy conservation bonds (QECBs). The guidance is expected to make it easier for state and local governments to access more than $2 billion in existing low-cost financing to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through QECBs.

U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Releases Report on Incorporating Sea Level Change Scenarios at the Local Level (PDF)(20 pp, 873 K)
The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Coastal Services Center has released a report which outlines eight steps a community can take to develop site-specific sea level rise scenarios. Using the information provided in the report, communities are expected to be able to develop a process that incorporates a range of possibilities and factors to address the specific circumstances of a community, in addition to developing the data and information that officials will need to make communities readily adaptable to changing circumstances.

Vermont Greenest Awards – Award Program for Vermont’s Greenest Buildings – due August 3
The Vermont Green Building Network is pleased to announce our inaugural award programs Vermont Greenest Building Awards. This year the awards will be focused on actual energy use in Commercial and Residential buildings. Any building constructed in Vermont with one year of energy data is eligible to submit for an award. Most awards will be judged solely on the actual energy usage of the building. One Commercial and one Residential or Small Commercial project may also be awarded our premier award of Vermont Greenest for the lowest overall energy usage.

The awards will be presented at our Annual Summer Networking Event help this year on Friday, August 17th at the Green Mountain Club in Waterbury, VT. At the event one additional award will also be granted. All attendees at the event will have the opportunity to vote for one of the qualified projects for the People’s Choice Award. All award winning projects will be featured on our website and on Facebook as well as displayed at VGBN events around the state.

VGBN reserves the right to modify award requirements or not to give the awards if no viable submissions are received. VGBN will not take responsibility for verifying reported energy performance.

U.S. Court of Appeals Upholds U.S. EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Regulation Authority
On June 26, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled to uphold a finding by the U.S. EPA that greenhouse gases pose a danger to public health. The court ruled that EPA was "unambiguously correct" to regulate greenhouse gas emissions under the Clean Air Act as a result of the endangerment finding. The court also upheld EPA's regulations on greenhouse gas emissions from stationary sources and motor vehicles, which had been challenged by fourteen states.

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy Releases Report on Energy Efficiency Programs
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released a report examining energy efficiency programs, which have been helping electric utility customers reduce and manage their energy costs for 30 years or more in many states. In 2010, the total budget for electric utility customer energy efficiency programs was $4.6 billion, about a four-fold increase from the $1.1 billion spent on such programs a decade earlier.

New Hampshire Governor Signs Bill Adding Thermal Energy to Renewable Portfolio Standard
New Hampshire Governor John Lynch signed into law a bill that adds thermal energy to the state’s renewable portfolio standard (RPS). The New Hampshire RPS requires that 23.8 percent of the state’s electricity come from renewable sources by 2025. The new bill allows for renewable thermal sources, such as wood pellet boilers, solar water heating panels, and geothermal heating and cooling systems, to count toward that target and qualify for state renewable energy incentives.

Join us at the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund’s SmartLiving Center to learn how you can benefit from incorporating weatherization, energy efficiency upgrades and to determine if solar is the right option for your home.

Boston GreenFest is organized by the Foundation for a Green Future, Inc. As the region's largest multicultural environmental festival, Boston GreenFest celebrates the many ways we can create a better world by greening our lives and our communities. We can have fun at the same time!

Over the past half century, America has spent trillions of dollars building some of the finest infrastructure that history has ever seen. But in many communities, this infrastructure is severely stressed from overuse, under funding of maintenance and renewal and aging.

A comprehensive approach to managing our capital assets is overdue - one that brings "state of the practice" advanced asset management (AM) concepts, tools, techniques, and technologies to bear on managing for cost-effective performance. This approach focuses relentlessly on providing sustained performance to the customer at the lowest life-cycle cost and at an acceptable level of risk to the organization.

Renewable Energy 2012, provided by Renewable Energy Vermont, will continue to bring together key players in the renewable sectors: business leaders, system operators, manufacturers, engineers, scientists, policy makers, regulators and academics. The conference, typically drawing hundreds of attendees and exhibitors, is consistently the largest renewable energy conference in the state, and is rapidly expanding to accommodate growing regional interest.

Maine Clean Communities and Southern Maine Community College's (SMCC) Transportation Technology Department are teaming up again to offer "Odyssey Day" in South Portland on Friday October 19, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 20th from 10:00-3:00 p.m. at SMCC. (In case of bad weather the event will be held inside.)

Numerous alternative fuel vehicles, along with displays and exhibitors of fuel reduction techniques, speakers and experts will be on hand to promote the newest in alternative fuel vehicles and technologies.

Funders Network Local Sustainability Matching Fund – Advanced Notice – August 2012
The Funders’ Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities and the Urban Sustainability Directors Network have joined together to launch a Local Sustainability Matching Fund. The fund will provide matching investments from national foundations on a competitive basis to build partnerships between sustainability directors and local place-based foundations to advance discrete sustainability initiatives that demonstrate broad-based community support and engagement.

The Local Sustainability Matching Fund will begin accepting applications for its next round of funding in late summer 2012.

The Smarter Cities Challenge is designed to help cities address some of the critical challenges they are facing, such as energy efficiency and climate change impacts. Selected cities will receive assistance from IBM experts from different business units and geographies, who will work on the ground with city leaders and deliver recommendations on how to make the city smarter and more effective.

You should submit the form as soon as you are committed to install a system. Incentives are reserved on a first-come first-served basis.

Eligible Entities: Committees with a cross-section of residents, local government agencies, businesses, institutions, and community groups. A letter of support from the local AIA chapter is required.

The Sustainable Design Assessment Team (SDAT) program focuses on the importance of developing sustainable communities through design. The American Institute of Architects’ Center for Communities by Design is seeking potential partner communities that can demonstrate the capacity to convene a diverse set of community leaders and stakeholders for an intensive, collaborative planning process focused on long-term sustainability. The Center is particularly focused on identifying communities that have the ability to leverage local resources and build strong partnerships for implementation of an SDAT process. Awarded communities will receive pro bono services from a multidisciplinary team through the program, and the AIA commits to funding up to $15,000 for each project to cover team expenses.

U.S. General Services Administration Updates Sustainability Tool
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has updated its Sustainable Facilities Tool. The tool provides suggestions for government and private-sector property managers on how to improve sustainable building practices. The update includes an additional 50 percent of website content, an updated interface, an upgraded search engine, and a green products compilation tool.

By providing Rhode Island decision-makers and communities with easy access to a centralized source of energy information, RIeEnergy.org will pave the way for the Ocean State to capture a smarter and brighter energy future.